This invention relates to devices for practicing sports, and in particular, this invention relates to a system and method for simulating a pitched or thrown ball such as a baseball or softball.
Currently, there are many devices for throwing a ball, including the throwing of baseballs and softballs as well as cricket balls, lacrosse balls, tennis balls, etc. for players to practice with. Typically these devices have one or more wheels that engage the ball as it passes through the wheels and impart speed and spin to the ball. Two wheel devices have become the standard over the past several years while three wheel devices are also becoming more common. It should be understood that devices using two wheels are limited in orientation to one plane of motion and are strictly limited in the amount of spin they can impart to the ball as it passes through. The three wheel devices offer an improved experience because they can vary the pitch in two planes of motion providing a more realistic pitch compared to a person throwing the ball.
An advantage of any of the different configurations equipped with a single wheel, two wheels or three wheels is that they are very good at replicating a particular pitch with the same speed, trajectory and spin. The machine can be adjusted manually by an operator moving the entire machine from side to side or by raising or lowering the throwing head. A significant problem that exists is that it is difficult to quickly and easily apply a fine adjustment to the positioning of the device so that over a 60 foot, 6 inch trajectory (the equivalent of the distance between the pitcher's mound and home plate in a major league baseball diamond), a slight change in the side-to-side and/or up-down end position can be achieved. A fine adjustment mechanism is highly desirable to more realistically replicate the routine of an actual pitcher during an at-bat, who varies the location of the ball with each pitch so that during practice, a batter is seeing a full range of locations around the plate, including inside pitches, outside pitches, high pitches, low pitches and pitches throughout the different parts of the strike zone, just as s/he would in a real game.